[[quoteright:334:[[Webcomic/{{Freefall}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Freefall_GenreSavvy_914.JPG]]]]
[[caption-width-right:334:At least he grabbed a weapon.]]

The exact opposite of GenreBlindness. A Genre Savvy character doesn't necessarily [[MediumAwareness know they're in a story]], but they do know of stories like their own and what worked in them and what didn't. More sophisicated versions will also know they can't tell which genre they are in (and are often in far more realistic or complicated genres that the stories they remember), or which characters they are.

They know every [[ASimplePlan Simple Plan]] is doomed to failure from the start and instead of participating, sit back and wait to get in their "I told you so", or even a "[[CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot We could have avoided this]]." They can spot someone being controlled by PuppeteerParasite from a mile away ([[NotBrainwashed usually]]). They're more likely to listen when they catch someone in a compromising position who sputters "It's NotWhatItLooksLike!".

They can tell fairly early that the [[HorribleJudgeOfCharacter strange old man who's offering free lollipops]] is probably best avoided. And they've seen enough [[{{Horror}} Horror movies]] to know that when there's an ax murderer on the loose, the ''last'' thing you want to do is either [[NeverSplitTheParty split]] [[AloneWithThePsycho up]], [[DeathBySex boink your significant other]], or [[CuriosityKilledTheCast investigate strange noises]] in the SinisterSubway. They know how to avoid getting a bad rank on the SortingAlgorithmOfMortality.

The Genre Savvy live to [[LampshadeHanging hang lampshades]], give {{Aside Glance}}s, and say, "{{You just had to say it}}, didn't you?" right after use of a TemptingFate [[StockPhrases Stock Phrase]]. Their [[FacePalm exasperation]] with the [[TooDumbToLive sheer stupidity]] [[FinaglesLaw of the entire universe]] usually makes them a DeadpanSnarker. They are likely to be told that ThisIsReality or [[BystanderSyndrome just ignored]], and likely to be the one who [[IAlwaysWantedToSayThat always wanted to say that]]. A useful person to have around if you get TrappedInTVLand.

They will often try to [[ExploitedTrope take advantage of tropes]], either to fail embarrassingly (often because they're actually WrongGenreSavvy), or to achieve remarkable feats to everyone else's astonishment. The sophisticated savvy can realize that they do not know what characters they are playing, or whether they are exactly in the same genre as the books they read.

Genre savviness sometimes occurs when AndYouThoughtItWasAGame shows up. This is a JustifiedTrope in situations where the character was initially recruited for their knowledge of the genre. (''Film/GalaxyQuest'', ''TheLastStarfighter'', ''Film/ThreeAmigos!'') It can also be justified through experience -- hopefully, after going through dozens of LetsYouAndHimFight scenarios a superhero will eventually see them coming and start trying to avoid them ahead of time.

There are two finely-distinguished varieties of genre savvy. The first comes from being familiar with ''fiction.'' A good example of this is the ''Scream'' series, where the genre savvy characters are savvy because they've watched horror movies. The other kind comes from being a character in some sort of serial fiction, and ''having a good memory.'' For example, many modern comic book superhero characters exhibit a lot of savviness, simply because they can remember all the weird things that've happened to them, and thus are not surprised when yet another evil twin shows up.

Like playing with the FourthWall, having one or more Genre Savvy characters is indicative of PostModernism.

The most extreme, who know what GenreBlindness is and that they're ''supposed'' to be, remain [[ContractualGenreBlindness Contractually Genre Blind]]. On the other hand, when they're incorrect in their assumptions on what they're supposed to be, they're of the WrongGenreSavvy persuasion. Clever characters can be well aware of the possibility of WrongGenreSavvy and additionally that they may not realize what roles they are cast in, and launch many a quip and discussion about whether a certain trope is or is not in play.

While Genre Savvy can be used to add spice to a tired old plot and create self-aware, intelligent characters, [[TropesAreNotGood it's not always the right thing to do]] -- a character who is ''too'' Genre Savvy can risk puncturing their story and turning it into a joke, which is a bit of a problem if it's supposed to be taken seriously. Furthermore, it can also ruin drama and suspense; some genres require a certain amount of the AnthropicPrinciple, GenreBlindness and WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief to effectively function, and if a character knows exactly what to do to get out of their story in a quick, easy and painless fashion at every turn, they're going to do it, and consequently lead an easy, trouble-free life, and... why are we watching them again? The more sophisticated frequently contains as many references to how this story differs from the ones they have read, just to keep everyone on their toes.

When a villain instead says "screw that!" and [[DefiedTrope dodges every trope]] and IdiotBall that comes their way, they are DangerouslyGenreSavvy. When they don't, it's DeathByGenreSavviness. If a character uses his Genre Savviness just to make humorous observations, he's a MetaGuy. When characters are just Genre Savvy enough to accept the premises of the story, they are FunctionalGenreSavvy. When an entire story is built around the audience being this and the characters subverting or showing it, it's often a CosmicComicStory. Compare with MediumAwareness.

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!!Examples:
[[index]]
* GenreSavvy/AnimeAndManga
* GenreSavvy/ComicBooks
* GenreSavvy/FanWorks
* GenreSavvy/{{Film}}
* GenreSavvy/{{Folklore}}
* GenreSavvy/{{Literature}}
* GenreSavvy/LiveActionTV
* GenreSavvy/{{Mythology}}
* GenreSavvy/NewspaperComics
* GenreSavvy/ProfessionalWrestling
* GenreSavvy/{{Radio}}
* GenreSavvy/TabletopGames
* GenreSavvy/VideoGames
* GenreSavvy/VisualNovels
* {{GenreSavvy/Webcomics}}
* GenreSavvy/WebOriginal
* GenreSavvy/WesternAnimation
* GenreSavvy/RealLife

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